


with a smile

by aebecee



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Drabble, Dreamies are mentioned - Freeform, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Idols AU, M/M, dreamies, i still dont know how to tag but uwu, im in my noren phase, jeno is a big softie, renjun loves him, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-02 04:13:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17257370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aebecee/pseuds/aebecee
Summary: Jeno is the epitome of a perfect idol, always so confident and smiling, but one of his group members, Renjun, sees through his facade.





	with a smile

**Author's Note:**

> hello! this is just a random noren drabble because i'm in my noren phase and in need of some fluff and jeno is renjun's baby thank you i didnt expect this to reach 2k+ words lmao ok im sorry this is just really messy but happy new year everyone!
> 
> btw, this was inspired by a song titled 'with a smile' you might want to listen to it uwu

_Lift your head_  
_Baby, don’t be scared_

 

Eye smiling prince, prince-like visual, a royalty, perfect features, a face sculpted by god himself, and a lot more titles given by the media. Jeno was used to it; the attention, the unending flashes of cameras, the crowd, the screams that follow him wherever he go, the lingering stares longer than necessary— it was all part of his job.

As an idol under SM Entertainment, the biggest entertainment company in South Korea, Jeno had to strictly maintain his character, to keep up with the image that the management conceptualized for him, a young adult who is capable, confident, and competent.

He had to be the perfect idol. There was no room for flaws or mistakes. He trained not only in dancing and singing, but also the way he should talk, the way he should carry himself, the safest way to answer questions from the reporters, everything, all of it were taught to him in strict standards.

It was the same for everyone, but Jeno had always been more uptight than the rest, and he was so used to it that even when there were no cameras around, he was still keeping his facade. He was so used to it that he did not realize it was already taking a toll on him.

 

It was a lazy morning in their dorm. They just finished promoting their latest album, We Go Up. It was a huge success, and the management was more than happy with the results, so they were given a few days off before they plunge back to rigorous practices for their upcoming concert.

On days like that, it was usually just Renjun in the dorm. Mark and Donghyuck would be in 127’s dorm, Chenle would go home to his family, Jaemin and Jisung would play outside, and lastly, Jeno would still be… working. He had always been the busiest one, individual photoshoots, MC gigs, magazine interviews, and all.

Renjun would be lying if he would say that he was not envious of all the opportunities given to Jeno, but he knew that all of it came with heavy responsibilities.

He woke up late with a grumbling stomach, so he made his way to the kitchen, surprised at the fact that someone was already there, looking for anything edible in the fridge, when he was expecting the dorm to be empty.

“Jeno?”

“Oh, hey,” Jeno greeted, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, “I- I’m looking for food,” a shy smile crept up his face. He was wearing a black shirt, his hair sticking out in all ways possible, his glasses hanging low. That was the Jeno that Renjun had always been familiar with, _a big baby._

“Jisung probably ate everything again,” Renjun sighed, before proceeding to one of the kitchen cabinets, “I’ll cook for us,”

Jeno closed the fridge, and was on his side in a second, “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“It’s okay,” Renjun dismissed, “Just sit there or something, you look really tired,”

Renjun is an observant one, they said, so despite the heart stopping smile of the younger, he still did not miss the bags under the younger’s eyes.

Jeno was hesitant at first, but he just gave up and sat on the countertop upon realizing that Renjun was really serious about not letting him do anything.

Renjun kept his mind and hands occupied with cooking, but he could feel the pair of eyes intensely watching him from the back. He had been trying to deliberately ignore the intense stare of the younger, but it proved to be a hard task.

“What?” he raised a brow, slightly turning to look at the younger, hand still holding a ladle.

Jeno giggled at the sight, it almost looked domestic, it was fascinating in a sense, “Nothing,”

“We haven’t seen each other outside of official schedules,” Renjun mused, carefully using his sweater paws to lift the lid of the pot. He was making a kimchi stew, quick and simple, muttering a soft ‘hot’ after taking a sip of the red soup.

Cute.

There was no reply so Renjun fully turned around to look at Jeno, who was still sat on the countertop, only to be met by a dumb smile. He could not help but raise a brow. He was weirded out, but it was not unwelcomed. He loved the feeling of butterflies.

“I missed spending time with you,” Jeno unconsciously said, his cheeks heating up in embarrassment in an instant, “I mean, spending time with you all, things have been pretty hectic lately,” he quickly mumbled.

Renjun almost cooed at that, “Yeah, yeah, sure,” he shrugged, but a fond smile slowly found its way on his face, “You don’t have a schedule today?” he asked while setting the table for both of them.

Jeno jumped off the countertop with a thud, skidded over the kitchen cabinets for soup bowls, “It’ll be later in the afternoon, I have a practice with the instructor,”

Renjun proceeded to fill the bowls that Jeno passed to him, “Oh, is it for your solo stage?”

Jeno hummed in response while making his way toward the table and settled down, “Wah, thank you for the meal, Injunnie,” he dramatically clasped his hands together when the older gently placed the bowl of hot soup in front of him, flashed his eye smile, before digging in.

Renjun’s heart swelled in delight as he watched Jeno eat happily. He knew that the younger barely had the chance to be himself, always had to maintain his image. There was also that constant pressure on him, to make sure he would not mess up, “How’s your practice sessions so far?”

To be honest, Renjun was quite skeptical about Jeno’s solo stage. He was well aware of Jeno’s capabilities, but he wanted to make sure that the younger was in the right mindset for it. His solo stage consisted of several complicated stunts and flips, it could be dangerous, and that was what worried him the most.

“It’s fine, I suppose,” Jeno drawled out his words, as if contemplating if he should say more.

Renjun knew something was up, but he learned not to pry on someone else’s problem until they were ready, so instead, he reached out for Jeno’s left hand which was on the table and held it firmly. No words were exchanged, just small smiles on their faces as they continued eating, holding on to each other’s hands like they were holding on for their dear lives.

 

It was around two in the morning, Renjun had always been a light sleeper, so when there were shuffling noises coming from outside his room, he easily woke up. He groggily walked toward the door, peeked his head out to locate the noise, but oddly, all the lights were turned off.

With furrowed brows, he tiptoed around the dorm until he reached the living room, spotting a familiar figure sitting on the couch in the dark.

Jeno.

It was dark so he could barely see anything, but once his eyes had adjusted, he could see Jeno’s hands trembling.

“Jeno,” he called softly, his bare feet padding softly on the floor as he made his way toward the couch.

Jeno looked at him with red, puffy eyes, looking so vulnerable, before averting his gaze and fixating it on the floor. It broke Renjun’s heart, that Jeno felt like he needed to hide his moment of weakness even from him.

“Jeno, baby,” Renjun reached out his small arms, cradling the crying boy in his arms.

Jeno immediately found comfort in him, his strong arms encircling the petite waist of the older, as he snuggled closer on his chest, creating a pool of tears on the older’s favorite sweatshirt.

Renjun ran soothing circles on the younger’s back, his other hand tangled on his chestnut brown hair, while whispering sweet nothings on his ear, “Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay,”

“I messed up,” Jeno’s voice came out muffled against his sweatshirt.

“I’m pretty sure you didn’t,” Renjun shook his head slightly, before asking softly, “What happened?”

“I can’t do it,” it was noticeably softer this time, like the younger did not want anyone to hear it. The silence urging him to continue, “We only have a month left before the concert, and yet I- I still can’t do it, I don’t want to drag the team with me,”

_I’m scared._

It was barely above a whisper, but Renjun heard it loud and clear.

Jeno had been facing his demons alone when he could have shared his burden with them, and Renjun felt the need to do something about it.

He slightly pulled away from Jeno’s hold, just enough to see each other’s faces. He cupped the younger’s face with both of his hands, carefully used his thumb to wipe the tears away, “Jeno, listen, we’re not the media, we’re not the management; we are always on your side, you are not alone,” the older made sure to enunciate every word, to let the younger feel his genuine intentions.

“ _I am always on your side_ ,”

That night, they ended up cuddling in Renjun’s room because Jaemin, Jeno’s roommate, was already sleeping and they did not want to take the risk and accidentally wake him up.

For the first time in a while, Jeno slept soundly. It could have been because of his exhausting day, but he would like to believe that it was because of the warmth of the boy sleeping in his arms, comfortably laying on his chest.

 

Jeno’s next practice session was just right around the corner, and Renjun insisted that he should go with him. The younger was clearly embarrassed, but even he could not do anything when the older was so persistent about it.

It came as a surprise when he could perfectly execute the flips and stunts that he had been practicing. He later realized it was because of the reassuring smiles and nods that Renjun flashed toward his direction.

He had been weighed down by the constant pressure on him, that he failed to notice his group members, _his friends_ , who always supported him in their own little ways.

Renjun’s affirmations boosted his self confidence. It also felt quite nice knowing that someone, other than himself, had his back. He felt free, almost like a heavy boulder was lifted off his shoulders, almost like he could broaden his horizons without a care in what the world would say. It was a really pleasant feeling to know that someone appreciates him even with all his flaws, that there would be people who would stay even if the world would turn its back on him.

 _Dream_. He have friends like them, what’s there to be afraid of?

 

The crowd erupted in deafening cheers, neon green lightsticks filled the entire concert hall. Jeno stood on stage proudly, with the biggest smile on his face, eyes twinkling in pure happiness. He had just successfully wrapped up his solo stage; the solo stage that he had been working so hard for. A few rows from the stage, he could see his parents proudly cheering for him.

The moment the lights dimmed for the transition to the next stage, he immediately ran toward the backstage, where he tackled Renjun, who was cheering for him there since the start of his performance. He lifted the older and spun him around in glee, the other Dream members, who were preparing at the backstage too, exchanged knowing glances with each other, with huge smiles on their faces as well.

“Jen!” Renjun squealed, his hands gripping on Jeno’s shoulders tightly to balance himself, “The stylist will kill me if I mess up my hair,”

“I did it!” Jeno beamed, ignoring the older’s soft protests, “Injun, I did it!”

“You did, I told you, you can do it,” Renjun cooed as he ruffled Jeno’s hair, despite his own protests earlier not to mess his already styled hair.

Jeno did not mind at all, stepping closer to the older instead. He enveloped him in a really tight hug, burying his face on the older’s neck, “It was all thanks to you,” he sniffed.

“You’re such a big baby,” Renjun jokingly said while threading his fingers on Jeno’s hair, his other hand gently patting the younger’s back.

“Only to you,” Jeno whispered playfully on his ear. Despite his tear stained cheeks, he still flashed his ever so famous eye smile.

“Don’t cry yet, you big baby, we still have a concert to finish,”

And with that, they both walked out of the backstage, hand in hand, for their next song, Dear Dream.

 

 _You’ll get by with a smile_  
_Now it’s time to kiss away those tears goodbye_

 

**Author's Note:**

> make 7d a fixed unit @ sm u coward  
> anyway maybe we can yell about noren or anything renjun hmu uwu
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/jaemnoren)


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